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Sometimes it's fun to have new experiences, a change in routine, or exciting things to do. Sometimes it feels much better to return to one's familiar, day to day life. That which we might one day call "boring," can feel refreshingly stable on another.
Life has been a little more "stable" for us this month, but certainly not boring. We're starting to figure out our new routine and settle in to common tasks. Right now this feels much better than all the "excitement" of transition we had last month!
I (Scott) traveled to Guaranda last weekend and taught a workshop on Hebrew. The students were well-engaged and want to study more. I'm starting a new online course with them this evening. There are additional students who will join us from other areas as well, even one in Argentina and one in Italy. It looks like I'll have 25 to 30 new students for this course. Pray for God to bring those who could benefit from this study and to keep them faithful to do their work over the long term. I'm sure the next few days will involve several challenges as I seek to patiently lead students to use our online educational platforms. Pray for efficient learning not just with the language, but with technology too.
Quito has bookstores with Christian materials readily available, but places like Guaranda not so much. Lately I've been taking books along with me on trips to sell at cost. It's a joy to see believers invest in high quality materials that can make an enduring impact beyond my presence in any specific place.
My students in Guaranda recently completed another course covering the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Last weekend three of my students completed one of their course requirements by giving a live presentation on their local radio station. I thought they did a great job!
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Scott continues to teach Hebrew online to several students in Ecuador. You might ask whether it’s worth the investment. Not every Christian needs to know the biblical languages, right? Yes, that’s true both in our own culture as well as in Ecuador. Nevertheless, we think there are some good reasons to teach Hebrew in Ecuador right now.
These are a few of the reasons Scott is heavily investing his time in the teaching of Hebrew. We believe Ecuador has a need, and God has equipped Scott to help for such a time as this.
Recently, two of Scott’s students sent him an encouraging audio message. You can enjoy this one-minute video with subtitles in English to see how excited they are:
One of Scott’s newest students is a Venezuelan pastor who connects to his class online along with another man in his church. Sometimes technology is effective at breaking down barriers in interesting ways. At this point we aren’t necessarily targeting people in other Latin American countries, but we are open to allowing God to use this ministry in any way he sees fit. Pray that Scott’s Hebrew classes will be an effective tool to strengthen churches in Ecuador and beyond.
Last time we wrote that Covid was interfering with our plans for travel. Thankfully, we have fully recovered, and we were able to take our trips. Kristi visited David and Shelby and enjoyed getting to know our new granddaughter. Scott had to delay his itinerary a little, but he had a fruitful trip to Ecuador.
Here are some highlights:
Scott was given an hour and half to participate in a radio broadcast.
It was a joy to celebrate a graduation for some of his Hebrew students.
Kristi with our granddaughters
Scott sold many books to help encourage biblical literacy.
Strengthening friendships
Visiting students
It was fun to join others in watching Ecuador play the opening game of the World Cup soccer tournament. Unfortunately, Ecuador’s team was eliminated today.